FILE - In this Nov. 28, 2008 file photo, Mississippi State defensive end Tim Bailey (39) is shoved back by Mississippi offensive lineman Michael Oher (74) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Serving as counterpoint to those great players is wide receiver J.J. Stokes, taken by the 49ers in 1995 at No. 10. Other mediocrities chosen there include Jamal Reynolds, Ray Agnew and Russell Carter. Who dat? Indeed.

That said, the 49ers should still come away with a decent player at 10 in the first of their nine picks through seven rounds Saturday and next Sunday.

Because rookie salaries are slotted according to draft position, the top 10 players make substantially more than those chosen from the middle of the round down. And with a general consensus that there is not much difference between the top 10 players and those ranked 11-20, trading out of the top 10 may prove difficult because of simple economics.

Assuming the 49ers hold onto No. 10, they should have options when their time on the clock begins.

Sanchez could conceivably still be available, which would give the club pause for accelerated thought. If he is considered the best player on the board at that time, coach Mike Singletary would have to be true to himself.

"The thing we have talked about is at whatever slot we're in, we take the best player available, because that player will make a difference on your team," Singletary said. "We want to stay away from saying we have a need, let's get that position."

Minus a peek at the 49ers' draft board, it's not known how the club ranks this year's prospects from the top down or by position. It could find Boston College's Raji available, a player regarded as the best interior defensive line prospect this year. Or maybe Maybin of Penn State is the object of San Francisco's desire as an outside pass rusher.

Some mock drafts have Texas Tech's Crabtree falling to 10, and that would seem to be a no-brainer. He's considered the best wide receiver in the draft. Pairing Crabtree with second-year wideout Josh Morgan would give the 49ers two dynamic young receivers to go with Isaac Bruce in what is likely his last year in football.

Then again, the 49ers gave up a league-high 55 sacks in 2008, 32 of them coming in the first 7 1/2 games of the season with J.T. O'Sullivan at quarterback in five- and seven-step drops on passing plays. Shaun Hill was sacked 20 times in 8 1/2 games as he took shorter drops behind an offensive line that functioned better in the second half of the year.

Still, the 49ers could well use their first pick in the draft on a tackle such as Alabama's Smith or Ole Miss' Oher, regarded as the third- and fourth-best at their position after Baylor's Jason Smith and Virginia's Eugene Monroe. They could leave Joe Staley at left tackle, where he excelled last season, and have their top draft pick compete with 10th-year veteran Marvel Smith for the starting job at right tackle.

That would be a win-win for the club in terms of youth, quality and competition.

But what about the flip side of pass protection - pass rush? The 49ers had 30 sacks last year, placing them in the bottom half of the league. One of the team's needs is for a dynamic outside pass rusher. Maybin could be there at 10, along with Brown of Florida State and Ayers of Tennessee.

As history has shown, the 10th pick in the draft can result in either feast (Marcus Allen, Rod Woodson) or famine (J.J. Stokes, David Verser) and morsels in between.